Chapter 29 end

"He's sulking," said Kim Murray later, back at Jarlaxle in the first-floor lobby. "But at least he's no longer swearing to chop off your head." Jarlaxle laughed again after the happiest day of his long life. "He will come to his senses, and will finally escape the shadow of Drizzt Do'Urden. Artemis Entreri will openly express his gratitude to me." He paused, considering his words . "Or at least," the mercenary leader corrected, "he will... thank me in his heart." "He wants to die," Kim Murray commented dryly. "He yelled before he lunged at Drizzt's back with a dagger. He wanted the traitor to kill him. He wanted to die, and I—we—on your orders, stopped he."

"If Artemis Entreri still behaved as he did, no doubt he would find other opportunities to show his folly," replied the mercenary chief with a shrug. "Then we'll never need him." At this moment, Drizzt Do'Urden came down the stairs wearing torn clothes.He has a few scratches on his bare arms, but other than that he doesn't look too badly hurt. "Lakey may have to pray to Ms. Rose for a hundred years before she can regain her favor, because he actually used her gracious healing spell to bring you, a rebel, back from the death line." Jarlaxle said with a big laugh. .He nodded to Kim Murray, who bowed and left the room.

"May she bring him to her in his prayers," Drizzt replied coldly.The alert look on his face was gone, and it couldn't be after what had just happened.He looked at Jarlaxle very seriously. "Why do you want to save me?" "Help me in the future?" Jarlaxle's tone was more of a question than a statement. "impossible." Jarlaxle laughed again. "I envy you, Drizzt Do'Urden," he replied earnestly. "Honor has nothing to do with your fighting, does it?" Drizzt shrugged, he didn't quite understand what the other person meant.

"Yes, you have escaped that debilitating emotion," Jarlaxle asked himself. "You don't need to prove that you're stronger than Artemis Entreri. Really, I'm really jealous of you because you've found peace of mind and confidence." "You still have not answered my question." "A certain respect, I suppose." Jarlaxle shrugged. "Perhaps I think it's not fair that your performance in battle should result in your death." "So if I don't perform up to your standards, should I die?" Drizzt asked. "Why is it up to you, Jarlaxle?"

Jarlaxle wanted to laugh, but he just smiled at Drizzt. "Or, maybe I let my priest save your life because of your father." The words startled Drizzt, whose attention was involuntarily drawn to Jarlaxle. "Of course, I know Zach Nafein," Jarlaxle explained. "He's my friend...if I had any friends. We're not that different, him and me." There was obvious doubt on Drizzt's face. "We're all survivors," Jarlaxle said. "In that hostile country, in a place we longed to leave but didn't have the guts to leave, we both found a way to survive."

"But you're out of there now," Drizzt said. "Did I leave?" the other replied. "No. I founded my empire on Menzoberranzan, and this inevitably binds me to that place. I am sure I will die there, and possibly in one of my One of his men—maybe even Artemis Entreri." Drizzt was somewhat skeptical of this claim, thinking that Jarlaxle would probably die of old age in centuries to come. "I admire him very much." The mercenary leader continued in a firm and serious tone. "I mean, your father. And I believe the admiration is mutual." Drizzt considered Jarlaxle's words carefully, and saw that he had no reason not to believe Jarlaxle.Amid all of Jarlaxle's brutality, there is some form of moral conscience.He already proved this when Jarlaxle captured Catti-brie and took her hostage, because he didn't do anything to Catti-brie, and he even showed her that he wanted to .Also, after Drizzt, Catti-brie, and Entreri escaped from House Baenre, Jarlaxle acquiesced in their leaving the Underdark, and he could have captured and killed them all, and in doing so, made a statement to the ruler. The family invites pets.

And now, he didn't let Drizzt die just like that, which proved it once again. "He will never bother you again." Jarlaxle pulled Drizzt out of his contemplation. "I used to think that too." "But everything is settled now," said the mercenary leader. "Artemis Entreri has his answer. While it's not quite what he expected, he will be satisfied." Drizzt considered it, then nodded, hoping that Jarlaxle, who seemed to know everyone well, was right again this time. "Your friends are waiting for you in the village," Jarlaxle reminded. "It wasn't easy to convince them to wait there. I was a little worried that I'd taste the ax in Bruenor Warhammer's hand and die like Matron Baenre, and I didn't want that at all."

"But you've convinced them, and haven't hurt any of them," Drizzt said. "I promise you. You can trust my promise... at least some of the time." Drizzt couldn't help smiling. "Then maybe I owe you one more time." "Then help me in the future?" "impossible." "Give me the Panther, then," Jarlaxle demanded. "I don't know how happy I'd be if Guenhuffa was on my side." Drizzt knew that the mercenary chief was only joking, because he had promised that the Panther would stay with Drizzt too. "You should keep an eye on your back, because I will come to retrieve the Crystal Shard," the ranger replied. "If you take Guenhuffa away, I'll have to kill you when I get it back."

These words reached Lecky who was walking down the stairs, and he couldn't help being a little surprised.But those two were just making an innocuous joke.Drizzt would not come to take Cershinbon, and Jarlaxle would not take the Panther. Their deal is done. Drizzt then left the Crystal Tower to join his friends.All were waiting for him in the village, and as Jarlaxle had promised, he was unharmed. After many hugs and tears, they left the village.But instead of going straight back to the waiting Mousefish, they went back up the hill behind the village. The crystal tower disappeared.Jarlaxle and the other drow were gone.Entreri had disappeared too.

"Wonderful, if only they'd bring that wicked thing back to your old home and make all the rocks on it crumble!" Bruno said angrily. "That would be great!" "We don't need to go to Cadley's now," said Catti-brie. "Where are we going?" "Wulfgar?" Regis reminded. Drizzt considered the believable words Jarlaxle had said about their friend.He shook his head.Now is not the time to go that way. "The whole world is in front of us," he said. "It doesn't matter which way you go." "And now that damned Crystal Shard won't keep bringing us all kinds of monsters," Catti-brie said.

"It won't be as much fun either," Bruno said. They followed the direction of the setting sun and left...or the direction of the rising sun. Back in Calimport, Artemis Entreri, the mightiest man on the street, had been contemplating the momentous events of the past few days, and the great and dramatic twists on the path of his life had begun to unfold in in front of him. He believed that Drizzt Do'Urden was dead, and at his hands, but he hadn't proved that he was the stronger one. Or, has he proven it?For it was he, Artemis Entreri, and not Drizzt, who had stronger allies. Or maybe these things don't matter at all? As Artemis Entreri walked down the Paradise Road with ease, confident that no one would dare stand against him, the first genuine smile in months appeared on Artemis Entreri's face.He walked to the door of the Brass Gambling Hall, and found that the halfling guards were very happy to see him, and when he entered Dun Dun's room, he met the slightest obstacle, not even a questioning look. To a. A short while later, he reappeared and saw Wawel waiting for him angrily. "You did it, didn't you?" she asked sharply. "This has to be done," was all Entreri answered.He wiped the blood-soaked dagger with the cloak of one of the Wawel guards, as if to test whether he dared to attack.Of course they didn't.Entreri walked unhindered to the door. "Is our agreement still valid?" he heard Wawel's plaintive cry behind him.The ruler of the Basadoni Guild walked out of the brass game with a silent laugh. That night, Wulfgar left Delly Curty's room, as usual, with a bottle of wine in hand.He makes his way to the pier, where his newest drinking buddy, a man of quite a reputation, is waiting for him. "Wulfgar, my friend." Morik the Thief said happily, taking a swig from the bottle. "Is there anything we can't do together?" Wulfgar had a dull smile on his face.That's right, they were the kings of Half Moon Street, the two of them got everyone's nods, they were the only ones in Luskan who would automatically give way when they passed through the crowd. Wulfgar took the bottle back from Morik, and swallowed the remaining half-plus in one gulp. He just had to.